


You're warm.

by Ilerre



Series: Ways to Say I Love You [4]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Zombie Apocalypse, Angst, Consensual Infidelity, Dubious Morality, Implied Mpreg, M/M, Sibling Incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-26
Updated: 2015-08-26
Packaged: 2018-04-17 09:37:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4661811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ilerre/pseuds/Ilerre
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You're warm.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You're warm.

0

Merle was sitting in the rocking chair on the front porch, booted feet propped against the banister when Grimes' car pulled in on the dusty road in front of the house making a cloud of dust that settled slowly as the man exited the car.

He smiled half-heartedly at Merle and walked slowly to the house. "Hey, Merle."

Merle stared at him before blowing smoke and crushing his cigarette in the ashtray balanced on his knee. "Grimes," he greeted curtly. "Dare's getting her ready. Want a drink?" he asked without waiting, entering the house quickly.

He grabbed two cans of sodas from the fridge and ignored Grimes' surprised face that he hadn't given him beer. He sneered into his can and huffed. "Don't act surprised. I wouldn't let ya drive after drinkin'."

Grimes pinched his lips but nodded slowly. "Thanks," he said.

A heavy and uncomfortable silence fell on the kitchen before Grimes sighed and rubbed his forehead. "How's she?"

Merle pursed his lips. "She's good. Did well in spelling last week. Goin' on a field trip Monday."

Grimes nodded slowly and absently drummed a finger against his half drank can of coke. "And—what about Daryl?"

Merle hummed and stared a moment at the man before answering. "He's doin' good too."

Something profoundly sad crossed Grimes' face before he straightened his back. "That's…uh, that's good."

Merle nodded and they both looked into the living room when they heard small feet followed by heavier one's going down the stairs. "Papa!"

Grimes put his can down and knelt, opening his arms. "Judy," he greeted happily. "How's my big girl, uh? Oh, I missed you, have you been good with Daddy and Da'?" he asked between kisses on the face.

Judith giggled and swatted him away playfully. "'f course I've been, Papa," she sighed in amused exasperation. Bright blue eyes twinkled merrily as she bounced back to the living room to grab her backpack and suitcase.

Merle shook his head in bafflement. He'd never understand why she needed so many stuffs just to spend the weekend at her other father's; but he guessed it was because she was a girl (—albeit _just_ a seven year old—) and he didn't really want to know.

He stood and walked to Daryl, wrapping an arm around his waist and kissing his neck gently. They exchanged a brief look between them, before Daryl and Grimes hugged in greeting quickly and separated just as fast.

They walked to the front of the house, Judith already kneeling in the dust saying goodbye to Mutt, the family dog, and promising to bring him back some treats from her weekend. Merle leaned over her, grabbing her in his arms and hugging her with all his might. "Ya be good, baby, yeah?" he said, kissing her forehead.

She giggled and wrapped her small arms around his neck. "Promise. Love ya, Da'. Take care of Daddy."

Merle put her down, caressing the side of her face, memorizing the familiar ice blue eyes and sandy blond hair. "Love ya too, Princess, and I promise," he smiled. "Go on now, say goodbye to Daddy."

She hugged him around the waist one last time before rushing toward Daryl and nearly tackling him to the ground. The separation between those two was always complicated and somewhat painful, even if it was just for the weekend. Merle gathered it had something to do with their childhood. Daryl had never had any stability and received no love from their parents.

Giving birth to Judith had completely changed Daryl's view of the world, and while before he had never been able to forge any attachment to any other than Merle, his little daughter had unknowingly built an unbreakable bond in Daryl's heart, entwined with his soul deep love for Merle.

Merle watched Daryl and Judith hug tightly, small tears gathering at the corner of his baby brother's eyes, before he gently pushed his daughter toward the car and waved at her gently. He talked briefly with Rick about the time the man had to bring her back Sunday evening before walking to stand in front of Merle, back to chest.

Merle didn't say anything as he wrapped his arms around Daryl's chest and belly, gently putting his chin on the top of his head. They watched silently as Rick helped Judith put on her seatbelt, and walk to the driver side, waving hesitantly at them, eyes lingering a bit too long before opening his door and sitting behind the wheel.

They returned Judith's waves as she said goodbye until they couldn't see the car, and they both sighed.

"God, that man's so in love with ya, it isn't funny anymore," Merle muttered.

Daryl turned in his arms and wrapped his arms around him, burying his face in the crook of Merle's neck and shoulder, inhaling deeply. "I know," he sighed. "D'you think he's gonna try to win me back?" he asked curiously, turning his face toward the road where the car had disappeared.

"Would it work?" Merle asked playfully.

Daryl huffed and gently swatted his shoulder. "Don't be dumb," he laughed, tiptoeing to kiss Merle on the lips. "He never had me in the first place."

Merle winced and wrapped his arms tighter around his little brother's body. Some days, Daryl's cold, calculating persona even stunned Merle himself, even if he had lived with the kid since his birth.

Daryl's ironclad plan when they moved in this small town of Georgia ten years ago had been emotionless, cunning, and terrifying in its efficiency.

He'd had his mind on having a baby for a very long time—since he was six actually—and Merle remembered that day perfectly. Daryl's tiny, determined, and angry face, swearing at him he'd have a baby with Merle one day and that they'd give it all the love and care they never had.

That plan had been rendered impossible the day Daryl realized that as brothers, and as the doctors were probably bound to do blood tests, he wouldn't be able to carry a child of their own. It would be too risky and dangerous.  

After that realization, Daryl had quickly fallen into such a deep depression, Merle was certain he'd lose his baby brother for good this time. Until one morning, Daryl had knocked the bedroom door down, entered covered in mud, blood and grime from days into the woods and had declared to Merle that they were moving away.

They'd found a small town deep south of Georgia where no one knew them, and no one had ever heard of the name Dixon, and had moved in town as husbands rather than brothers.

Then, Daryl's plan had quickly unfolded, and after a thorough selection, had settled his sight on a recently divorced cop. Rick Grimes seemed the perfect target. His wife had just left him for his partner, his son was thirteen and wouldn't be in the way, and the man just seemed too prompt to stupid decision; as Daryl, dangerous, beautiful Daryl, had preyed on him the night he was sitting alone in a dark booth in a bar, sipping whisky forlornly.

Thinking about it, Merle knew Grimes had had no chance to resist Daryl's feline charm and dark attraction. They'd had sex together that night, and two months later, Daryl had jumped into Merle's arms, sobbing in joy and brandishing a positive white stick, declaring himself pregnant.

Merle had been so happy he'd hugged his brother for hours.

It was their dreams finally coming true.

Their chance to have a happy life and to be able to build something very, very good. They'd never looked back on the means to do it, and Merle had never even considered Daryl's plan as a betrayal, or a treason, or a threat to their couple and love. They were soulmates, plain and simple, and if their means to get pregnant had been dubious as fuck; it didn't matter, other people had done way worse to have children.

They hadn't hurt anybody, and Merle would do it a thousand time if it meant Daryl would smile and laugh again.

Except they'd never imagined there would be a glitch in their plans. They never imagined their target— _Rick Grimes_ —would fall in love with Daryl.

Three months after the night they had sex, Grimes had come to their house in the middle of the night, yelling for Daryl. Merle had opened the door and stared lengthily at his pale unshaven face with dark circles under his eyes, haggard and dazed to see another man standing in Daryl's house.

Merle had closed the door behind him and crossed his arms, hoping Daryl was still asleep upstairs in their bed. The morning sickness had been really bad, and his baby brother needed all the rest he could get before being disturb by nausea and bad cramp.     

"What d'you want?" Merle had asked gruffly.

Grimes had shaken his head in disbelief. "I need to see Daryl," he had breathed out, nearly pleadingly. "Who're you?"

Merle had felt a painful twist in his gut, because he could only imagine what it felt not to have Daryl. The thought of another man standing in his place was enough to make him feel bile rise in his throat, and he couldn't start to think about how much it had to hurt. "I'm Merle Dixon," he finally said curtly. "Daryl's _husband_."

The words had still felt foreign, not nearly enough to really describe what Daryl really was to him, but it was their cover.

Grimes had paled even more, deflated so quickly Merle had been scared he'd just faint right in front of him. "His _husband_ —but I—I—" 

Looking away, Merle had scratched his cheek in false agitation (and damn, hadn't he deserved a fucking Award that day?) and had finally sighed. "He told me," he had said blankly, and turned his eyes on the man. Grimes had looked even smaller, as if he had been trying to disappear from the world, shrinking on himself. "I know ya slept with him."

Grimes had closed his eyes and rubbed them, and for a quick moment, Merle had been sure to see tears fall down his cheeks. "I—I didn't know he was married," he had finally answered, voice shaky and close to sobbing.

Merle had nodded. "I know."

He had felt bad—he still felt bad, even today…sometimes—because the man hadn't been supposed to be so hurt. Rick Grimes was just supposed to be a one night stand, a mean to get their baby.

He hadn't been supposed to know about the pregnancy, but Merle's bleeding heart had felt the need to tell him after watching the baby grow in his little brother's belly. Grimes hadn't been supposed to fall apart at their hands, and Daryl had been human enough to understand and agree with Merle's view.     

"What're ya thinking?" Daryl's low voice suddenly startling him out of his thought.

He blinked and turned away from the dusty road, looking down at his little brother lovingly. "He wasn't supposed to be involved."

Daryl made a face and nodded despondently. "I know, right?" he sighed, running his hands through his longish hair, "but I guess we got a good deal with the Judge. He only gets her one weekend per month. This isn't so bad to have Judy with us the rest of the time, right?"

Merle shook his head fondly and hugged Daryl back, kissing his forehead. "You're cold, baby," he snorted.

Daryl hummed and snuggled up against him. "You're warm, Mer'."

It was immoral. It was evil.

But it was the price they had been ready to pay to have a family.

Merle couldn't regret any of it when he watched Daryl laugh with Judith, and he sure as hell couldn't blame Daryl for wanting them to be happy.

0

**Author's Note:**

> This work is unbetaed. Please feel free to point any typos you saw or missing words, or any sentences that just don't make any sense :)
> 
> **[SUBMIT A PROMPT HERE](http://hillbells.tumblr.com/submit) ******


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